1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer database management systems and more particularly to generating data definitions to engineering databases and engineering software.
2. Description of the Related Art
The effectiveness of integrated engineering design systems depends on efficient access of data. Typical data is stored and available in databases, but it is rarely in the form that is suitable for access from engineering design software. Great benefits in cycle-time reduction are achieved by integrating software tools used by the engineers. Integration requires that different software tools work against a consistent model of engineering data. There are many different techniques for representing a data model such as using database languages, information modeling languages, programming languages, and graphical representations. For instance, the Object Modeling Technique (OMT) and the associated OMTool disclosed in Rumbaugh et al., Object-Oriented Modeling and Design, Prentice-Hall (1991), provides a high level of abstraction to a particular engineering problem, but requires the understanding of complex diagrams detailing the relationships between objects defined for the problem. OMT provides a notation for representing different types of relationships among objects, including associations, aggregations, and generalizations. These relationship types are typically understood by a database expert, but are difficult for engineers to understand who are not computer specialists.